Our complaints process

Compliments

We are always happy to hear that we did something well. We really appreciate compliments about our services and staff and share them with our colleagues to ensure we continue to get things right.

Compliments will be recorded and passed to the member of staff or team being complimented. Managers will acknowledge individuals or teams who are being complimented.

Compliment information will be reported to the Selwood and Silcoa board of management. Compliments will be shared bi-annually at staff briefing and corporate events.

Complaints

We are sorry when things go wrong, and we want to hear from you if you are unhappy with us in any way.

Definition:

A complaint can be defined as 'an expression of dissatisfaction where a response is expected' (BS ISO: 10002 2004). The dissatisfaction could be with action we have taken or action we have failed to take or about the standard of service received, either from us or an individual or organisation acting on our behalf.

Selwood Housing group will use complaints learning to train staff and where applicable review policy.

Complaint stages

Informal stage:

All dissatisfaction will be treated as a complaint in the first instance and will start as an expression of dissatisfaction. In some instances depending on the nature of the complaint, the investigator may start the complaint at Stage 1 of the complaints process. This is usually determined by the time needed to complete the investigation and availability of people we may need to involve.

Stage 1:

Stage 1 complaints will be assigned to a member of staff with the most relevant knowledge and expertise, usually a team manager. They will hold an investigation and write to you.

Stage 2:

If you are unhappy with the outcome of your complaint you can go to stage 2 of the complaints process. You must tell us why you are not satisfied with the outcome and include any additional information you would like us to consider.

Stage 3:

The final stage of the complaints will be considered by our complaints panel, which is made up of three board directors. Anyone who has a relationship with us as a landlord can escalate their complaint to stage 3. This includes applicants for housing. You will be contacted to arrange a mutually agreed date and time for the hearing to take place. You can bring a relative or advocate with you to the hearing if you want to.

Customers of our sewage treatment plants or those who rent a garage from us cannot go beyond stage 2 of our complaints process.

Housing Ombudsman

The housing ombudsman will consider complaints if you have been through the complaint stages set out with your landlord.

The stage 3 letter should confirm that the panel is the final stage of the internal complaints process and explain that the complainant can contact the housing ombudsman and how to do that.

Step 2 - if you cannot resolve your complaint with your landlord you could ask a designated person, such as an MP or councillor to get involved. They will consider the best way to deal with your complaint and contact your landlord. A designated person can also escalate a complaint to the housing ombudsman if appropriate to do so.

Step 3 - refer the complaint to the housing ombudsman, who will consider if it sits within their jurisdiction and, if it does, we will seek to resolve it either through our early resolution process or by investigation.

What is not a complaint:

General enquiries - requests for information about us or the services we offer

Appeals: for example; recharges

Anti social behaviour reports and incidents. However, complaints can be made about how the case has been dealt with

Repair requests

Claims for damages or insurance claims

Legal claims - claims being pursued by a third party on behalf of the customer through the courts

If an on going complaint should fall into one of the above categories, the complaints process will be split and any element relating the above will be dealt with separately and not form any part of the complaints process.

Complaints about policy

We accept that there will be times when you may disagree with one of our policies. Complaints about policy will start at stage 1 of the complaints process.

If you are dissatisfied with the outcome of the stage 1 investigation, the complaints process will stop. Instead, the relevant executive team director will consider the complaint and decide if a review of the policy is required.

Vexatious and serial complainant

A small number of people may persist unreasonably with their complaints or make complaints in order to make life difficult for Selwood Housing and Silcoa rather than to resolve a genuine grievance. If a member of staff believes that a complaint falls into within this category, they will discuss it with their manager, who in turn will raise the matter with their executive director.

When a decision is made to treat a complaint as vexatious, the customer will be told in writing, why the decision has been made, what the restricted contact arrangements are and for how long these restrictions will remain in place.

Selwood Housing is a registered charity (1141124). Selwood Housing Society Limited is a company limited by guarantee (4168336). We are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority reference no 739371.
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